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About this project

Modern
games are fun, but I like the classics! I love that I can often
play through one in under an hour--simple, challenging, and satisfying! Those games
were short by necessity, but brevity IS the soul of wit, and it's not a
bad way to do things.

Inspired
by SF and Fantasy pulp stories, Tiny Barbarian is made up of
individual episodes that, combined, offer a huge amount of content,
but individually can be completed in under an hour, while still
offering an exciting and complete experience. And we're not asking
you to pay individually for a series of episodes. Nope! Buy in once
and you'll receive each episode as soon as it is complete!

Here's some more clips of the game in action:

The
original Tiny Barbarian was a tiny but very well-received
Game Maker project I put out last year. This new version is All New
and makes use of Starquail's custom 2D engine - the same engine that
powered Astroman on XBox Indie. I received a lot of enthusiastic
feedback, and thanks to that feedback, the new engine, and my own determination for improvement,
the new game darn near destroys the old one (but you can still get
it here, if you like).

Tiny
Barbarian now has a much improved combat system that makes juggling
enemies a breeze, they can even be knocked into each other for extra
damage. TinyB himself is completely redrawn, just as tiny but even
more ripped with low-def muscle, and with new moves to attack enemies
from different directions (the elbo drop is my favorite). As with the
original, the stories are heavily inspired by old Sword & Sorcery
yarns (think Conan the Barbarian) with plenty of nods that genre fans
(and old-school gamers) are sure to appreciate.

This Kickstarter concerns a PC version of the game only, but other platform releases may become feasible later on.

Here are some things you will be able to do in Tiny Barbarian DX, in no particular order (spoilers, obviously):

Fight endless hordes of evil (or just misguided) warriors.

Wack a gnome until gold comes out.

Flee from a giant serpent.

Defeat a huge, fire-breathing parrot.

Ride a bumblebee.

Ascend a wizard's magical tower.

Save the most beautiful ladies that can fit into a 16x16 pixel box.

Bite a vulture.

End the reign of snake-worshiping cultists.

Outsmart a puma made of liquid metal.

Battle white apes on an airship.

Eat chicken you found in the garbage.

Countless exploits that defy description!

Big,
small, or even tiny, making a video game is a significant
undertaking. I should know, I've been working on Tiny Barbarian in my
free time for months! So
why Kickstarter? Well, I could start tiny - finish a single episode
and see how it flies. But with your support through Kickstarter, I
can work on the project full-time, commit to multiple episodes right away, and you'll get to play
them much more quickly. Currently four episodes are planned, but
extra pledges will mean additional episodes, “Stretch Goal”
style.

Behind
every retro sword-wielding barbarian action game is an retro action
game fan. I'm Michael Stearns, and I'm the guy behind this one. My
friend and programming genius Daniel Roth and I have been producing
games under the StarQuail brand for several years now. Our last game, Astroman, was honored by Game Developer Magazine as one of 2010's top ten XBLI titles. Usually I'm
the art guy and he's the programming guy, but for Tiny Barbarian, I'm
both guys, although he continues to assist me (willing or not!) whenever I need a bit
of expert advice. I'm also the creator of the webcomic Dawn of Time,
which ran consistently--and received praise from an amazing
number of complete strangers--between 2008 and 2011.

Joining
me is Jeff Ball, the super-talented musician who worked with us to
create the soundtrack for Astroman, as well as the music for the
original TinyB. He has worked on other titles such as Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, Wing
Commander Saga, and contributed his violin mastery to triple-A titles such as
Mass Effect 3, Gears of War 3, League of Legends, and others.

About Rewards!

Most of the rewards are pretty self-explanatory but I want to describe or show a few in detail.

The
Game: The game itself is the most basic reward, and with
digital delivery, getting it to you is a snap! Backers will receive
the first chapter (almost done!) and each additional chapter as it is
completed. The delivery date displayed in the Rewards List is for the
total project, so you will be playing the game long before date
shown. Also, your name will appear in the Hall of Heroes, an in-game monument to my Kickstarter backers.

Sample box. The finished product may differ (it'll have a proper blurb on the back, too!)

The
DVD Box Edition: This special box edition includes your digital
download, the box with artwork, and a short booklet with cool artwork
and a totally unnecessary (but also Totally Necessary!) guide to
getting started. The box edition does not include a physical copy of
the game, but it's a fantastic thing to have on your shelf.

The Shirt: Trade in those barbaric scraps for something more civilized! If you think it looks good here, think how good it will look... ON YOU.

Tiny buttons: Any reward tier that has stuff shipped to you will also have a set of five shiny, shiny 1" buttons shipped to you along with it! Each assortment will include a varied selection of the game's cast but you can always count on getting one pixellated barbarian hero.

"Keeper of Terrible Secrets:" This is the big one! I'll hide an Easter Egg in the game based on an idea of your choosing. It might be a secret room devoted to your greatness, or it might be a unique, game-breaking mount! The ideas come from you but I'll be the one who determines how it actually appears in the game. Anyone playing the game can access these Easter Eggs, but only you will know how to do it--it's up to you to decide if you want to share it or not!

Risks and challenges

I love games, I love making games, and Tiny Barbarian is the sort of game I love to make. With only one person's vision behind it, the biggest risk is that I may have bitten off more than I can chew--I do worry I've promised too much, not just to my backers, but to myself as well. Your dollars are buying my development time, so the question is, have I budgeted enough?

To convince myself, I have spent the last several month squeezing game development into my free time. (I have a day job, you know!) It hasn't been easy, but the result is a pretty good-looking project with all the groundwork laid out before me. There will be challenges ahead, but between my experience working on other games and having overcome difficult spots in Tiny Barbarian's development already, I know I can overcome them without delay. If I do find myself stumped, I have other experienced people ready to lend a hand. (Daniel already knows I am not shy about asking for help when I need it!)

$12,000, even minus Kickstarter fees, costs for rewards, and taxes (taxes!) is a lot of money. I don't ask for it lightly, and I've taken a lot of time to determine what I need to support Tiny Barbarian's development. With your support, Tiny Barbarian will be finished, it will be finished on time, and--seriously--you're going to love it. Thanks for your help, every tiny bit is appreciated!

FAQ

It goes without saying that I want Tiny Barbarian on all the platforms I can get it on! As I mentioned above, this Kickstarter with its initial goal is for Windows PC only, but as it progresses and gets closer to the funding goal we'll start looking seriously at stretch goal options for other platforms. Consoles are extremely unlikely, but feel free to message me to tell me where you'd like to see TinyB appear!

Rewards

Pledge $5 or more

Pledge $8 or more

701 backers

Hall of Heroes - You're getting the game! As an early backer, you get the game, bonus wallpapers for your computer, and your name will appear in the in-game Hall of Heroes. All subsequent rewards get this one, too!

Estimated delivery:Jan 2013

You selected

Pledge $15 or more

66 backers

Double Barbarian - Sharing is a virtue among even the fiercest barbarians! Get two digital downloads of the game instead of one--give it to a friend, or hoard it for yourself!

Estimated delivery:Jan 2013

You selected

Pledge $20 or more

74 backers

Sounds of Battle - One digital download of the game, plus a digital download of the game's rockin' soundtrack!

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

You selected

Pledge $25 or more

66 backers

Literate Barbarian: Enjoy the game's manual in PDF format, along with two downloads of the game, and the soundtrack, too!

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

You selected

Pledge $35 or more

13 backers

Tiny Buttons - Flare up your warrior gear with a set of five 1" buttons depicting TinyB and friends in their pixellated glory. Includes all previous tiers, and all other tiers with shipped rewards get this one, too! Please add $5 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico.

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $50 or more

6 backers

Wall Barbarian - An 18x24 poster of Tiny Barbarian! Plus two downloads, the soundtrack, buttons, and the PDF manual. (Please add $20 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $70 or more

15 backers

Barbarian Box - Digital is great, but you can't put it with the other games on your shelf! Embrace your love of the analog with a DVD case including original artwork and a short booklet. You'll also get two downloads of the game, five buttons, and the soundtrack. (Please add $15 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $85 or more

6 backers

Barbarian Wear - Welcome the fearsome warrior into your "War-Drobe" with a Tiny Barbarian t-shirt! Offers +1 to defense and +5 to attracting the attention of awesome people. You also get two downloads of the game. (Please add $15 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $180 or more

2 backers

Barbarian Bundle - You can have it all! The poster, the shirt, and the box, and all the other stuff that comes with them (downloads, buttons, soundtrack). (Please add $20 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $250 or more

4 backers

Treasure Collector - A one-of-a-kind Tiny Barbarian acryllic painting on a 5x7 mini canvas panel. Hang it near your best treasures to intimidate any would-be thieves. Also includes the Barbarian Box. (Please add $15 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

You selected

Pledge $500 or more

2 backers
Limited (7 left of 9)

Keeper of Terrible Secrets - A unique Easter Egg will be created just for you, and only you will know how to find it. Will you tell your friends or take the secret to the grave? It's up to you! Also includes the Barbarian Box. (Please add $15 for shipping outside the US, Canada, or Mexico)

Estimated delivery:Jun 2013

Ships anywhere in the world

Funding period

Nov 19, 2012 - Dec 19, 2012
(30 days)

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